Magnetic reciprocator for electric generators.



MAGNETIC RECIPROCATOR FOR ELECTRIC GENERATORS.

R. O'KEEFFE.

APPUCATION FILED OCT-13,1915.

Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

MEM Q. a 2 1474,

E. R. OKEEFFE.

MAGNETIC RECIPROCATOR FOR ELECTRIC GENERATORS APPLICATION FILED OCT-13,1915- 1,215,4:01. Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

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E. R. O'KEEFFE. MAGNETIC RECIPROCATOR FOR ELECTRIC GENERATORS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-13,19l5. 1,215,401. Patented Feb. 13,1917.

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ELBERT R. OKEEFFE, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE ONE-HUNDREDTH TO ARTHUR H. STURGES, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

MAGNETIC RECIPROCATOR FOR ELECTRIC GENERATORS.

Application filed Gctober 13, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that I, Ennnlrr R. OKnnrrn, citizen or the United States, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State ol Nebraska, have invented certain new and uscl'ul ln'iproveiuents in Magnetic Reciprocators for Electric Generators, oil which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in magnetic reciprocators for electric genera tors, of the class providing means for longi tudinal reciprocation off the commutator and i shaft, to permit uniformity in the wear of the surface of the commutator from the contacting brushes. The invention has tor its principal object to provide means to control the longitudinal movements of the parts mentioned which will be eii'ective in operation and will consist of such parts that they will be comparatively inexpensive in production, and that vibration, during operation, will be practically eliminated.

The novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts employed are illustrated in the accompanyin drawings and pointed out in the appenced claims, and the operation of the preferred construction shown will be fully described herein.

In the drawing, Figure l is a plan View of an electric generator, the housing for the armature and coils, and the housings for the shaft and electromagnets being broken away.

Figs. E4 and 3 are enlarged details relating to Fig. l to clearly illustrate the electrical actuating mechanism en'iployed. Fig. 2 is a. plan view showing a. plurality oi elcctro magnets and their connections, the bearings :tor the shaft being .in transverse section. Fig. 3 is a view similar to that shown in Fig. 2, the electromagnets and part of the shaft being in longitudinal section, as on line 3 3 of Fig l.

Fig. 4; is an end view of the parts shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a View looking to the ends (iii the electromagnets, as a section on line 5 of Fi 1 to show the arrangement oi. the electrical condu( -.tors, and relative position of parts.

it will be understood that in, the use oil. electric. gei'ierati'irs, as usually (:onstructed, a continued contact and resultingwear of the metallic brushes upon the soft metal of a commutator tends to produce scratches, grooves and abrasions upon the peripheral Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

Serial No. 55,635.

surface of the copper-plates, the resulting ob ectionable teaturcs being that the plates will soon become injured; also when the.

generator is employed in connection with the storage batteries of tclephoi'ie systems, the vibration produced bv the scratching and sparking causes sound waves to be eonducted through the storage batteries and service conductors, the buzzing-sounds tending to produce confusion and inconvenience when using telephones. Also it is obvious that uniformity in the flow of the electrical current .is desirable when an electric generator is used for providing electrical energy tor lighting or furnishing electrical power, and if the peripherv of the connnutator becomes scratched or abraded, as mentioned, uniformity in the flow of the electrical current will not be uniform.

If the commutator be moved axially by mechanical devices, the vibrations of such devices will be communicated to the commutator to a greater or lesser extent, with the result that its peripheral surface will be come grooved and scratched. The principal object of the present invention is to provide means for a longitudinal reciprocation of the commutator and shaft during the rotation thereof, which will not be attended with vibration, or at least will be accompanied with less vibration than by other means.

Referring to the drawing, there is illustrated a generator provided with a horizontal shaft 1 which may be rotated by any suitable means, a part of its bearings being indicated at 6 supported by a sl'latlit-housing zl. coniuudiator is mounted upon and. is movable with the shaft; and at l is indicated the armature for the generator, which, together with the coils 3, are preferably disposed within a suitable housing 2.

A suitable base 7 is employed for housing the lower part of the commutator, and by means of keepers 10 the metallic brushes 9 are secured to the brush holders 8, said brush. holders, as best shown in Fig. 1, being secured upon the base or support 7, so that the terminal parts a of the brushes may en 51a go the periphery of the commi'itator.

It will be ui'iderstood that, while the hen! lugs for the shaft permit rotation, said bearings, parts of which are best shown in Fig. 9., also permit longitudinal movements of said shaft. Also, it is well known that on account of electrical attraction between an card armature and the adjacent coils, during the rotation of said armature, there will be a tendency for the arn'iature to remain within the magnetic field of the COllS, 'll1llS, if the shaft, while rota-ting, together wit-h the armature and commutator be moved longitudinally a limited distance in the direction indicated by the arrow 11, and then released, the parts will return to their former positions, with the arn'iature disposed normally or within the field of attraction, the shaft sliding in its bearings.

lvleans are provided and will be described for causing the limited movements incutiencd in. a manner to be practically free From 'ilnal'ien. Secured by screws 3 1; upon the shaft housing 2 t (l igs. 3.) is an apertured insulating disk upon which. are mounteu by any suitable means, a plurality of clectromagnets. They are shown in said Figs. 2 and 3 with closed circuits, their cores 5O traversing the disk while disposed adjacent to the end of the shaft, substantially equi distant from eacl'i other and parallel with and equi distant from the axis of the shaft.

Secured by screws upon the outer end of the cores of the electromagnets and dis posed. substantially parallel with disk 22 and secured by bolts 26 and 27 to the first disk is a second insulating disk 23. Traversing a central aperture of disk 22 and disposed axially of and threaded in the end of the shaft is a spindle it which carries an insulated linger 15, said linger being disposed in a central aperture of disk 23 with its axis in alinement with the axis of the spindle.

Upon disk 23 are mounted all of the elec- Q trical circuit making and breaking means.

Secured upon this disk by the binding screw 32 is a metallic bracket 35 which also operates as an electrical conductor, said bracket being provided with a post 56, and at its free end it is provided with a butler or stop-pin 55 which is threaded therein.

lvlounted upon bracket and adapted to have a limited swinging movement, is a link 17 which is 01": electromagnetic material and for convenience of description is designated as a first electrical conductor. It is provided with a set screw 20 disposed in line with the spindle and finger 15; and upon this link are mounted the electrical contactscrew 19 and a post 57. Numeral 21 indicates a spring having its respective ends mounted upon the posts 56 and 57, tending to normally cause an outward swinging movement of the link 17, said movement, however being limited by the stop mem ber 55.

Secured upon the disk 23 by means of the binding post 53, is an electrical conductor formed as a supporting-plate or arm 4L8, upon which, by means of a keeper 51, is

mounted. a resilient strip 16 which for convenience oil description is designated as a second electrical conductor, a suitable insulating plate d9 being interposed between the conductors and 16. hereinafter that the keeper 51 also operates as an electrical conductor.

l umeral 18 indicates an electrical conductor or screw in communication with a plate or arm lb and which conductor is thread cd into the strip 16, as best shown in Fig. 3, tie lower end of said conductor engaging a button t? preferably constructed of platinum, carried by the plate 43.

Numeral 35) indicates a metallic pl te op- J crating as an electrical conductor, prorulcd with av button 38 disposed aeptcent to the screw 19 and preili'nably constiaicted oi platinum, said plate 39 being secured to the disk 23, by the binding screw 40.

lit will be understood that vhen the circuit for the electromagnets are closed as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the adjacent sna'lt will be attracted thereto and will move longitialinally in the direction indicated by tl e arrow 11, while rotating, until the end thereo'l engages the cores of the electronnrgnets. the linger 15 moving through the space f), the commutator thereby moving transversely of the brushes so that the wear upon its periphery will be substantially uniform. li hen the electrical, circuit for the electromagnets is broken, the shaft, while rotating,

will gradually move longitudinally in a reverse direction to that described, on account of the attraction between the armature and coils 3, said. circuit being broken by the swinging movement of the resilient conductor which engages the linger 15, the swinging movement of the conductor 16 causing a corresponding movement oi the link 17. in order that the link 17 may move practically without vibration, the bracket provided, as best shown in Fig. 4-, with opposed arms 59 each having; an car 60 in trical conductor 31 connects the post 30 with the electromagnets 12, as best shown in Fig. The return current from the electro magnets is through the electrical conductor 33 to the binding post or screw 32 and thence to the electrical contact screw 19 .lt will be seen e and, in succession, through link 17, bracket and the threaded pivot-pins 86 and 87.

The current being conducted to the point of contact-screw 19, is conducted therefrom to the platinum button 38 which is a part of the conductor 39, and therefrom is conducted to the binding screw 40, and through the conductor 42 the current passes to bind ing post 41.

A fuse 48 is interposed between the binding posts ll and 44- and the current passes theretlnough to the binding post l5 by means of conductor il-6, and from the binding post 455 the current passes to the battery through the conductor 45? to complete the circuit, said circuit being for the purpose of energizing the electromagnets for moving the shaft in the direction indicated by the arrow 11.

Upon the completion of the longitudinal movement of the rotating shaft, the finger 15 of the spindle M will automatically cause the circuit to be broken, and the spring 21 will operate to normally cause the circuit to remain broken and thereby permitting a longitudinal movement of the shaft toward the coils.

\Vhen the last named movement of the shaft is complete, so that the armature is disposed in the position shown in Fig. l, the linger l5 and spindle lei being moved inwardly, the point of the conductor or screw 18 will engage the platinum button elT since the conductor 16 is resilient, and thereupon an electrical circuit will be established through the conductor 48, the insulation plate 49 permitting a circuit to be established only through the point of screw 18 and the platinum button 47 at required intervals.

This last described circuit is established from the battery through the electromagnets to the binding post 82, the same as already described. From the binding screw 32 the current is conducted to the keeper 51L throu-gl coiuluctm' the screw or keeper 51 being in electrical contact with the resilient coudurtor ll? and insulated from the supporting-plate or conductor 48. The current is rouducted to the'point of screw 18 and thence to the binding post 53 through the platinum button 47 and conductor 48. From the binding post 53 the current is conducted to the binding screw 40 by the conductor Tr-l, and from the binding screw 40 the current is conducted to the battery through the fuse 43 and the conductors 46 and 4-7.

This last electrical circuit is established when the shaft has con'ipleted its longitudinal movement and is disposed in the position shown in l ig. of the drawing. The circuit being completed, the electromagnets vill be energized by the battery, and the link will swing inwardly against the force of spring 2'], said link being disposed adjaccnt to the screws or keepers 25, said screws 25 being in engagement with and serving as continuations of the cores of the electromagnets. In operation, on account of the attraction between the link 17 and the cores of the electromagnets, the link will readily swing on its pivotal mounting toward the disk 28. This movement of the link causes the contact s.rew 19 to engage the platinum button 88 of the metallic plate 89 and establishes the electrical circuit, and this circuit will. be maintained during the Longitudinal movement of the shaft indicated by the arrow ll.

The movement of the sl'iaft last mentioned will. be continued. until the linger 15 engages he se -screw 20, as already described, for breaking the circuit, and since the spring 21 will maintain the con tact-screw l5) disengaged from the platinum button 88, the circuit will remain broken during the return movement of the shaft to the position shown in Fig. 1. By means of the devices thus described the shaft, during its rotation will. be reciprocated longitudinally, the operation being automatic and 'n'actically free from vibration, this feature being of importance and one of the advantages to be derived, other advantages of the invention being features relating to durability and economy of manufacture of the parts for effecting the movements mentioned for the shaft and the commutator carried thereby.

The link 17 is disposed within the field of attraction of the electromagnets at all times when the latter are energized. The limited arc of movement for the link, caused by the spring 21 when the electrical circuit is broken, may be regulated by the set-screw or stop 55. Numeral 58 (Fig. 1.) indicates a hood preferably used for housing the electromagnets and their connections.

lVhile I have shown and described a plurality of electromagnets, a lesser or greater number or a single electromagnet may be employed. and I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself in this respect, nor to the number or arrangement of electrical condiiictors, nor to form, size or proportion of parts, nor to minor details of construetion, since the scope of the invention is de termined by the claims.

I claim:

1. In combination. with the shaft, armature and the coils of an electric generator, said shaft being journaled to permit longitudinal movements and the armature being normally maintained in the plane of the coils, an electromagnet positioned adjacent to an end of said shaft, an electrical conductor, a source of electric supply in communication with the conductor designated herein as the first electrical conductor to energize the electromagnet for moving the shaft longitudinally, an actuating member movable by the longitudinal movement oi the shaft for terminating the communication of said conductor with said source of electric supply, a second electrical conductor designated herein as the second electric conductor in communication with the electromagnet, and means to establish a connection between the second condiuctor and the source of electric supply after the communication oil? the first named conductor with said source of electric supply has been terminated.

in combination with the shaft, armature and coils of an electric generator, said sha'lt being journaled to permit longitudinal movements, an electromagnet positioned adjacent to an end of said'shatt, a link, designated herein as the first electric con-- doctor, a source of electric supply in communication with said link or conductor to energize the electromagnet for moving the soai t longitudinally, an actuating member movable by the longitudinal movement of the shatt while interposed between the link and shaft for terminating the communication of the linlc with said source of electric supply to permit a reverse longitudinal movement of the shaft by operation of the coils, a metallic strip in communication with the electromagnet, and means to establish a circuit between the metallic strip and the Copies of this patent may be obtained for source of electric supply after the electrical communication of the lmlrwith sald source of electric supply has been tern'nnated and after the shaft has performed its reverse longitudinal movement.

In combination with the shaft, arma ture and coils of an electric generator, said shaft being jeurnaled to permit longitudinal movements, an electromagnet positioned adjacent to an end of said shaft, a pivotally mounted link, a source of electric supply in communication with the link to energize the electremagnet for moving the shaft longitudinally, an actuating member movable by the longitudinal movement oi? the shaft tor terminating the communication or the link with said source oi electric supply to permit a reverse longitudinal movement of the shaft by operation of the coils, a resilient strip having ametallic connection with the electromagnet, and means to establish a connection between the metallic strip and the source of electric supply after the shaft has performed its reverse longitudinal movement.

in testnnony whereoi, I have allixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ELBERT OKEEFFE. ll itnesses Hiram A. S'rnnons,

7' OLIVE IXAUIFFOLD.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D; C. 

